


Shooting Shadows

by KananOrgana



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hurt and comfort, Inquisitor Kanan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:14:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24060415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KananOrgana/pseuds/KananOrgana
Summary: Caleb Dume wasn't able to escape the troops after they gunned down his Master, but Vader didn't allow them to kill him. He had something else in mind, something far worse
Relationships: Kanan Jarrus/ Seventh Sister, Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla
Comments: 3
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

“No, NO! I know you…” The kid said, taking his lightsaber into a firmer grasp and pointing it at his attacker.

“Less than suitable grim, with a fully unstable blade. Are you sure you don’t want to go another route, Petro?” The older sneered. He ran a nail against the side of the activation box of his own lightsaber before igniting it.

“You knew me at the Temple. You stood up for me?”

The man shrugged and rolled his eyes. “Things change, _kid._ Now surrender, or--”

"Just DO IT!" A voice yelled.

Petro gritted his teeth and launched himself at the Inquisitor, but the Inquisitor was ready. As soon as the boy was in range, he activated his saber and dug the tip of the blade into the boy’s arm before he adjusted and pointed the blade at his eye. The almost-Padawan fell with a _thump_. The Inquisitor smirked and picked up the kid’s lightsaber and made his way back to his ship followed by a heavier set of footsteps.

###

“Fourth Brother, so glad you could arrive on time today,” The Pau’an known as the Grand Inquisitor spat, “Lord Vader awaits you.”

“You know how it is, the Jedi always put up a fight. This one nearly branded me. Had to return the favor before I killed him.” The Fourth Brother grinned and patted the Grand Inquisitor’s shoulder in a slightly patronizing way before making his way down the hall to the briefing room. Before he reached the door, the Fourth Brother passed by the Seventh Sister, who reached out and pinched his ass. He smirked, but flinched a bit at the touch, though it wasn’t the worst she’d ever done to him, nor did he ever expect it to be the last. He didn’t think he’d mind if it wasn’t. He’d have to try and pay her a visit before he left on his next mission.

The door to Vader’s office slid open before the Fourth Brother had even reached the controls.

“Enter, Inquisitor.” Came the eerie mechanical voice of the Dark Lord, punctuated with his artificial wheezing. The Fourth Brother knelt before him.

“I am pleased to hear of the death of the former youngling Petro,” A baritone voice said, “You have done well, Fourth Brother. I believe you are ready for a real challenge.”

“What is thy bidding?” The Fourth Brother offered in a slightly sarcastic tone. 

“A rebel pilot has been attacking my fleets for months. The witnesses claim she flies with unnatural skill, which leads me to believe she may be a survivor,” Vader said, with just an edge of annoyance in his deep voice, “She’s been sighted in the Onderon system.” Vader pressed a button and a hologram of a green Twi’lek flashed before the Fourth Brother’s eyes. 

“Her name is Hera Syndulla. She is the daughter of Ryloth’s resident terrorist, Cham Syndulla. I want you to kill her, and I want you to make her suffer. Save her head. She’s overdue for a family reunion.”

The Fourth Brother could hear the sneer hidden behind Vader’s mask. He studied the holo for a moment. Simply looking into her eyes, he was sure the woman wasn’t Force-sensitive. He dare not tell Vader his instinct was wrong, but it was more than that; something the Fourth Brother couldn’t quite place, though he wasn’t sure it was something he would even want to place if he could.

“The rest of the file will be sent to your datapad.” Vader said with certainty. The Fourth Brother bowed, then stood, and hurried to the hangar. He had always ached for back-to-back missions; anything was better than lying around with the other Inquisitors all day or week. As he walked, he scrolled through Syndulla’s file. Reported as a highly talented pilot, exceptionally gifted at hand-to-hand combat, as well as with a blaster. And if the surviving troopers’ reports were any indication, it did sound like she could be a Force user. But the Fourth Brother still didn’t believe she was.

Not that it made any difference. Hera Syndulla would die as they all did, and if she had to die, he’d make sure it was by his hand, because he could control her suffering. One quick slice and she’d be gone; a far better alternative than if she happened to be captured by troopers. And something about that prospect sent a chill down the Fourth Brother’s spine. The woman had to die, but it didn’t have to be painful. He would make sure of that much.

###

The Fourth Brother sighed as his prototype TIE Advanced hit the surface of Onderon. His intel indicated she’d be in the system and the moment he entered it, he knew it was accurate. He could feel her and his suspicions about her not being Force-sensitive were confirmed. He powered up his advanced scanner and picked up a rogue transmission. A woman in a hood appeared in blue light that illuminated his cockpit.

“Go to Iziz and leave through the north gate. You’ll find a forest not far ahead of you. Walk from the gate, about 4 kilometers. You’ll find your supply drop. Fulcrum out.” The transmission cut off and the Fourth Brother smirked as he landed his TIE in one of the hangars. If he could get to the drop first, he could cut her off, and then he’d be back home to his cold durasteel bed and sloppy rations. 

On second thought, maybe turning this into a chase wouldn’t be the worst idea. The Fourth Brother sprinted into the treeline and leapt onto a high branch for a good vantage point. Nor long after, a jade green Twi’lek walked through the gate, alone. The Fourth Brother smiled to himself and jumped from branch to branch as Syndulla made her way deeper into the forest.

Onderon was a beautiful planet; one the Fourth Brother wouldn’t have minded settling on, if such a thing were possible for him. The trees sent him back into his memories and he channeled them into anger as he’d been trained.

That day was far behind him.

Oh, how Caleb Dume had fallen.

It didn’t take long for Syndulla to reach the supply drop. Caleb watched her closely as she inspected the crates and he watched with glee. She couldn’t seriously be working alone, taking hauls like that all alone. Syndulla may not have been a Force user, but she was something, and Caleb wanted to see just exactly what she could do. He unclippled his lightsaber and dropped from his perch, making sure his feet hit the ground hard enough for Syndulla to hear, but not startle her.

And then she looked at him.

Whatever sort of bond Caleb _thought_ had been forged was set on fire the moment her eyes met his. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey, there.” He grinned.

“Who are you?” Syndulla growled, pulling out a blaster. Caleb raised his hands in surrender, but he kept hold of his lightsaber.

“They call me the Fourth Brother, but _you_ can call me--”

“You’re an Inquisitor!” Syndulla raised her blaster, but didn’t pull the trigger. 

“We can have some fun, or--”

“Oh, we’ll be having fun.” She narrowed her brows and smiled. Caleb grinned and ignited his lightsaber.

“Was hoping you’d say that, sweetheart.”

###

Hera Syndulla studied the man standing before her. He didn’t look like the Inquisitors she’d been told about except for the yellow-orange eyes. His brown hair was neatly kept, a little shaggy in the back, with one stray lock hanging across his forehead. He had just a hint of new facial hair growing in, and his armor was made of black horizontal strips in a descending v-fashion with the Imperial insignia sitting on one of his shoulder pieces. He had an obnoxiously flowing cape and Hera hoped he’d choke on it.

He gave her another devilish grin and ignited one of the blades of his lightsaber. Hera sighed and charged her blaster.

“You’re going to need more than a few cheap tricks if you want to kill me.” She seethed. The Inquisitor laughed loudly and lazily swung his blade around a few times.

“I was counting on that, sweetheart. I’ll let you take the first shot.”

Hera didn’t hesitate to fire on the man, but he deflected every bolt. He lunged at her, swiped her feet out from under her, cushioned her fall with his arm wrapped around her waist, and when she hit the ground, he held the blade to her neck, eyes ablaze. She knew she didn’t look like the others because she wasn’t afraid to die. Caleb frowned and deactivated his lightsaber and sat in a meditative form on the ground not far from her, but Hera didn’t dare lower her blaster. She couldn’t bring herself to shoot him, either.

“Your ship is approaching.” The man said, eyes closed.

“You’re letting me go.”

“No,” The Inquisitor said, “I’m having fun with this. Until next time!” Eyes still closed, he smiled as Hera loaded the crates onto the _Ghost_. She didn’t take her eyes off of him until the ramp closed. He knew something and it made Hera uneasy.

###

Caleb opened his eyes as he heard Syndulla’s freighter take off. He watched it leave the atmosphere with a big smile on his face. He waited until he was sure she made the jump before he pulled out his holoprojector.

“Fourth Brother, I assume you have good news?” Vader droned. Caleb gulped.

“The target wasn’t on Onderon, my Lord. The intel was off.” Caleb said. “But I think I may know where she’s really headed.” 

“Find her immediately, Inquisitor. You know as well as any of your brothers and sisters that I _don’t_ like to be kept waiting.” Vader cut off the transmission and Caleb clipped the projector back to his belt, maintaining a slow walk back to his TIE. The woman wasn’t Force-sensitive. Caleb now knew that as a fact. But he didn’t want to think about what would happen to the rebel that had already destroyed four Star Destroyers, countless TIEs, and however many sabotage missions against the Empire. 

Stupid as it sounded to him, Syndulla was safer as an assumed Jedi, so long as he was in charge of hunting her down.

Hera Syndulla was nothing more than an extremely talented pilot who didn’t need to rely on the Force for what she did. The Fourth Brother thought that alone made her the best pilot in the galaxy. She was his enemy, his target, yes, but the Fourth Brother had never harbored any hatred for the pilot and after encountering her, he found that he was filled with admiration. Not many pilots could outfly the Imperial Navy, nor could just anyone take down a Star Destroyer single-handedly. 

Finding the rebel again would be easy. It was always easy to track down targets and Imperial intel nailed the system and the Fourth Brother managed to intercept another message as he flew past one of Bakura’s moons. In addition to his intel, the Fourth Brother seemed to have forged some kind of bond with the woman early on; he wouldn’t have even needed the intel to find her. He just knew. He watched the message, but didn’t pay attention. It was Syndulla that time, not the hooded woman. Caleb watched Syndulla’s eyes closely. She was disturbed by their encounter, but she seemed almost intrigued by it. Caleb smirked and switched the message off and put in coordinates that he believed would lead him back to her.

###

He found the green Twi’lek again somewhat effortlessly each time, which wasn’t to say that she wasn’t good at what she did, because she was. Caleb was just better at tracking. He sat behind a tall rock, waiting for his moment to jump out and surprise her. He heard her complaining to a droid on her comlink and chose his moment. He pulled out his blaster and fired a shot in the air. Syndulla turned around wildly.

_Syndulla._ It was easier chasing her when he used her clan name. It felt less personal, albeit not by much. Calling her “Hera” felt wrong to Caleb; almost like a crime. A line he didn’t feel comfortable crossing with her. He wouldn’t admit it, but he didn’t feel _worthy_ using her given name and it made the hunts for her easier. It was easier for Caleb to pretend it was just another job, just another assignment when every bone in his body screamed that it was more than that.

He found her for the fourth time on Rodia. She seemed surprised as ever he’d tracked her down, though Caleb figured that was on purpose. He wondered how good she was at sabacc and whether or not he’d ever be able to get her to agree to a game with him.

“You’re here.” She breathed.

“Of course I’m here, sweetheart.” Caleb gave her a devilish grin.

“I hate to tell you, but it was a wasted trip, dear.” Syndulla offered him the same smile and Caleb’s turned into a genuine one. Her lekku twitched, but to Caleb, it didn’t seem to be out of any annoyance. The twitch looked almost friendly, but then again, Caleb wasn’t the most knowledgeable when it came to such things. Syndulla was proving to be quite the teacher, though, despite the fact that she probably wasn’t aware of it. 

“Not a wasted trip if I get to see you! That’s my favorite part of all of this.” Caleb always felt the need to be honest with her, but he couldn’t pin down why. There were a lot of things relating to Hera Syndulla he didn’t understand, but as far as he was concerned, he didn’t need to. Whatever it was, she always seemed to understand. 

Syndulla rolled her eyes and pulled a vibroblade out of her flight suit before she knelt down to get her blaster. Caleb watched bemusedly before reaching behind his neck to get his lightsaber.

“I can work with two weapons as well.” He grinned. Syndulla rolled her eyes again before she charged Caleb. He deactivated his lightsaber and tossed it aside, reaching for his blaster instead, just before Syndulla leapt forward, feet aimed for his center of gravity, and knocked him to the ground, pressing her body into his, with her blade pressed hard against his throat. 

“Got you, too.” Caleb grinned. His blaster was snugly pressed in the space between Syndulla’s ribs. Caleb forced every thought about the position they were in or the confusing yet generally pleasant feeling of having her full weight on him. 

Syndulla studied Caleb’s face carefully for a few moments before she put her blade away and uncharged her blaster, then stood with her feet on either side of Caleb’s hips. He smiled up at her and he could have almost sworn she almost smiled, too. She even offered him a hand. His dumbfounded expression turned into an ear-to-ear grin as he took her hand and she pulled him up.

“Are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Hera asked, patting the dust off of her utility pants. 

“You know I can’t do that, sweetheart.” Caleb chuckled.

“Can’t or won’t?” Hera stopped to face him. His smile faltered ever so slightly. 

“For your safety, I can’t. Vader finds out you know, you’re dead, and it won’t be by my hand.” Caleb sighed. “Just play along with me, okay? I can keep you relatively safe.” 

Syndulla snorted. “Play along with you chasing me across the galaxy?”

“Trust me, okay?”

“Fine,” She said, though she didn’t sound convinced in the slightest, “Will you at least tell me why you haven’t killed me?”

“I don’t know.” It was one of the most honest things Caleb had ever told her--or anyone-- and he hoped she realized that. 

“I think you do. You’re just avoiding it. You don’t serve the Empire your whole life then just start suddenly questioning your loyalties.”

“It hasn’t been my whole life. I was a Jedi once.”

“What the hell happened to you?”

“Hell,” Caleb chuckled, “You should go before troopers get here, Syndulla.”


	2. Chapter 2

A few months after their first encounter, Caleb intercepted another transmission from the contact to Syndulla while cruising around one of the systems in the Outer Rim. It gave him every detail he needed, and Caleb couldn’t help but wonder how Syndulla’s contact could be so careless. The only comfort he found in it was that it was  _ him _ who intercepted it and not some Imperial intel officer. Had that happened, her ties to a larger rebellion would have been reported, and then Vader would  _ really _ start shit with her.

Caleb plugged coordinates into his navicomputer and sighed, finding his mind drifting to the pilot--something that happened far more often than Caleb would care to admit. She had a sharp tongue and she was as fearless as Vader, maybe even moreso. He’d flown against her, or rather, he tried. She left him in the space dust. She made it all look so  _ easy  _ on top of it all and her maneuvers made Caleb think she could take on Vader himself. She was the best pilot he’d ever encountered. Her hand-to-hand combat was flawless, too. She was like a Jedi in that sense; it was like she saw each blow before it was made, every dodge just a second earlier. Caleb also knew that she had a very strong right hook, from experience. That intrigued him. It entertained him. The anarchist pilot needn’t die. Not yet. Not at all, if he had any say in it.

He liked to pretend he did. It made the hunt easier.

###

Hera pressed a series of buttons on the console. It was second nature to her then; no thought needed. It was why she far preferred to be behind the yoke than working on a hands on mission, but with no crew, and other recent developments, the young Twi’lek didn’t have much of a choice. 

She brought the  _ Ghost _ down nice and soft, sent Chopper to the cockpit, and knocked twice on a cabin door as she made her way down the ladder to the ramp. She walked through the thick forest trying to find a pickup from Fulcrum. Whether it was the many layers of branches or just her running on autopilot, she failed to notice Caleb on a high branch above, watching her, silently leaping from tree to tree. 

He let her get to her pickup before he dropped to the forest floor. When his feet hit the ground--he made sure she could hear--he detected a groan and it made him laugh. Out of mirth, no sinister intentions behind it.

“You again?” Hera almost groaned again as she turned around. She took this opportunity to really take note of the Inquisitor. He was fairly tall from her experience with humans--at least a standard head taller than she was-- with short but still slightly shaggy brown hair pushed back save for one lock, and just a shadow of stubble across his jawline and upper lip. His orange-yellow eyes were piercing, though more than anything Hera detected simple searching behind them. His black armor was rather elegant with horizontal v-plates and the Imperial insignia on his shoulder, and he topped it all off with a flowing cape. He was certainly the most dramatic of any of the Inquisitors Hera’d heard of, not to mention his lack of any of the sinister air that others had described. Hera dared say the Inquisitor was almost  _ warm  _ and he looked far more like a scoundrel in an expensive kids’ costume than an agent of evil. It just didn’t fit what Hera felt from him.

“Me again.” He smiled. Hera watched his orange eyes flicker over to the drop. Hera could’ve sworn the color faltered for a split second, but she chalked it up to exhaustion. 

“You’re not getting it.”

“I’m not here for your supplies, sweetheart. You know that.” He kept smiling and pulled out a blaster rather than his lightsaber--Vader would torture him ceaselessly if he found out.  _ Good thing he won’t. _

“What’s wrong, can’t get your sword up today?” Hera smirked.

“I like a little variety in my life, my dearest spectre.” Caleb shrugged playfully. He didn’t bother with the banter with any of his previous targets. It was never worth it and they could never keep up anyway. But with this rebel, it made the chases more fun, and there was something else about it he couldn’t quite place, but he didn’t care to try, either. 

Hera rolled her eyes at the nickname. He’d called her that one of the first times he’d tracked her down. Said that anyone whose ships were called  _ Ghost _ and  _ Phantom _ must be a spectre. Well, that and sweetheart. “Bet you’re lousier with a blaster than you are with a blade.” Her smirk was firmly in place. 

Caleb raised a single brow and shot at the ground just a centimeter in front of Hera’s right foot without breaking eye contact with her. Hera glanced at the blast mark smoldering near the tip of her boot and shrugged. 

“Tell your contact to work on a better encryption method for her messages to you. I was able to intercept a couple. I’m not the best with tech, but I’m above average, and I’d hate for someone else to find you first.”

Hera nodded ever so slightly, but her frown and discontent were evident.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“So that someone else who actually wants to kill you doesn’t find you.” Caleb said plainly.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” She drew her blaster and without even stopping to take aim, pulled the trigger. A bolt shot into Caleb’s shoulder and he dropped his blaster and gripped it, “But I’m still a better shot and I don’t have time for this.” She pulled out a comlink, all the while keeping her eyes on Caleb. 

“Chopper, now!” Her freighter dropped into the clearing, the crates all magnetized, and she jumped onto the lowered ramp. “Until next time, dear!” She yelled as the ship flew away. She’d accepted he’d always find her months ago, but that he wouldn’t kill her. She knew that he could if he really wanted to, but she tried not thinking about that, nor did she think about why he wouldn’t kill her, but it pissed her off because she knew he  _ let _ her win every time. He could kill--or at the very least incapacitate-- her while barely lifting a finger. He worked for the Empire, she worked to dismantle it. She had no idea why he let her get away with anything, but she was glad he did. 

Caleb watched until the  _ Ghost _ disappeared with a smile on his face. He pulled his holoprojector out as he made his way back to his fighter.

“Fourth Brother, I trust your mission was successful  _ this _ time?” Vader didn’t sound trusting and while Caleb couldn’t see Vader’s actual face, he knew he was frowning.

“The intel was off again, my lord. The target wasn’t in the system. I have reason to believe her ship is equipped with some outlawed modifications, so finding her may prove to be an issue.I believe I’d be better off tracking her myself since intel sends me on a wild bantha chase.”

Vader didn’t say anything; he simply ended the transmission. Caleb clipped the projector back to his belt and pressed his hand over his shoulder. He wouldn’t need a trip in a bacta tank, but he’d certainly need a patch. He didn’t have one in his medkit, but he had some numbing spray at least, and that would have to do. 

Caleb climbed inside, wincing as his shoulder was stressed, and then sat wondering about the Force signature he sensed as the  _ Ghost _ picked Syndulla up. 


	3. Chapter 3

Caleb tried to avoid notice as he made his way back to his cell, clutching his still tight throat. Vader had decided to grace the Inquisitors with a surprise visit and Caleb was sure his failures accounted for it in the first place. He knew Vader wouldn’t be happy with Syndulla escaping yet again, but he hadn’t expected that. He figured he had another two or three repeats before Vader actually killed him--after extensive torture that had him begging for death, of course. He sat down on the durasteel slab he called a bed and hoped that wherever Hera was, she was avoiding Imperial attention. He knew she wouldn’t, but he could hope, anyway. He hadn’t received any new intel on her activities, and that was a good thing. 

Caleb had learned to shut out his recollections of his meetings with Vader many years prior; another Inquisitor catches onto the fear that followed, the larger the chance at having to fight them off without having caught his breath yet.

Most of the Inquisitors never really bothered messing with Caleb, and he was thankful for that. Most, of course, didn’t include the Seventh Sister. She was nearly as accomplished as he was, and she was easily the most competitive of any of them. Caleb had had his fun in that area, but over the last few months, interactions with her became less and less entertaining. Not that he was ever attached to her in the first place, but the fun had died and he wanted nothing more than to make it back to his cell in peace. 

An interrogation droid floated past Caleb and he absentmindedly drew a hand to the scabbed over scar on his neck--interrogation droids were cruel in the most calculated ways. 

As he approached his cell he grabbed some of the slop that made ration packs seem gourmet. Not that his cell was anything to look forward to, either, because all it contained was an ice cold durasteel bed. Caleb did have to concede that it was a far better living area than the detention cells he’d been kept in after his initial capture.

A small yet firm hand landed on his shoulder and yanked him into a corner, throwing some of the slop on his tray onto the grated floor. 

“You saw Vader.” The Seventh Sister sneered--though Caleb could sense her fear.

“I saw Vader.” 

“If he won’t kill you, I will. One mark shouldn’t take this long, especially for you. I hope you realize everyone is expecting you to return with her head on a pike.” She replied. Caleb started to clench his teeth, but stopped. The less the Seventh Sister knew the better, and not just for Caleb.

“You really are a black widow, aren’t you?” Caleb smirked. He pushed every thought of Hera out of his mind and decided on disingenuity. He’d always been relatively successful when it came to hiding himself in the Force, but he learned long ago he could never take a chance with the Seventh Sister.

“If I were a black widow, you’d already be dead.” 

“Shame I still have some use then, isn’t it?” Caleb chuckled as he hit the panel to open his cell. The Seventh Sister left a lingering kiss on the corner of his mouth. He thought twice when it came to returning it--he didn’t know why. In the end, he really just stood there, didn’t respond. If the Seventh Sister noticed, she didn’t let him know. The smirk she shot him before she walked away felt heavy, though, and all Caleb knew was that he didn’t like whatever message she was trying to convey.

None of that really mattered to Caleb, though. Syndulla was safe; whoever was travelling with her was safe. He didn’t even bother touching the slop on his tray before falling into a deep sleep.

###

His sense of security changed the next morning. The Twi’lek was spotted by a fleet near Mygeeto. He grimaced and forced his old memories of his time on the planet out of his head as he headed for the hangar. He hoped he wouldn’t find her, but he would. He always did. He’d been after her for 10 months by then, so he knew how it would go, but if Caleb could help it, it would stay that way and she would stay safe, in a manner of speaking. Of course, Caleb knew Hera Syndulla would never be truly safe unless she stopped blatantly attacking the Empire and stealing its supplies. He hoped it was just a streak, but he knew it wasn’t. That much was apparent from his first briefing. But as long as he was an Inquisitor, she would be safe. As long as Vader thought him competent enough to go after her, Hera Syndulla would live to rebel another day. He just needed to get  _ closer _ .

His shoulder was still stiff when he found her ship upon his arrival on Mygeeto. This time he ignited his saber immediately and cut a hole into the ramp of the  _ Ghost _ . Syndulla stood bewildered in the cargo bay. She wasn’t wearing the metal chest protector or the long sleeves. She still had the orange pants, but she had a white top on that exposed her midriff. When Caleb climbed through the hole, she pulled her blaster out of its holster. Caleb scanned the bay; she had a fair number of weights set up and she was drenched in sweat. He twirled his lightsaber a few times before taking a couple of steps closer to her. He gripped it tightly as if he’d strike her, but his hand loosened just as fast.

“You need to be more careful not to be seen.” Caleb told her in a low voice. He hoped she didn’t hear any malice in it, because that wasn’t his intention, although he didn’t know why exactly. 

“Then you’re more than welcome to get off my ship.” Syndulla challenged.

“Troopers will be here in a few moments. You’ll need to shoot me again, but make sure it looks convincing. I’m sorry about the ramp, but I can’t let it look like you got away without a fight this time.” Caleb said urgently. Hera furrowed her brow as Caleb took slow steps closer and closer to her, igniting his blade when he got within a meter of her. But the closer he came, the more he realized he couldn’t lay a finger on the woman. He’d rather take the blade to his own stomach than take it to hers. He deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his back.

“You’re helping me again.” She glanced behind her as if looking for someone.

“You think I’ve actually been trying to kill you all this time?” Caleb laughed. Sydulla studied him for a minute before pulling out a vibroblade.

  
“Convincing would be close quarters combat.” She said softly, almost remorsefully. Caleb tried not to groan. He hated getting stabbed, but he nodded and deactivated his lightsaber.

“Cut off that flappy part of your suit and give it to me.” He nodded to Syndulla’s pants. “Then I won’t go home empty handed and it’ll look like I came close this time.”

“Why don’t you just come with me? I can smuggle you into some system where you can disappear.” Syndulla said softly.

“Not until I have a good way out.”

She gave him a look, but for some reason she didn’t understand, did as he asked. When he walked forward, he took the piece of her flight suit and she thrust the blade between a couple of his lower ribs. He cried out, not expecting her to be so sudden, then she smiled sadly. Caleb put his gloved hand over hers for a moment so that she’d have to hold the blade there. 

“Troopers are almost here,” She said, looking past Caleb’s arm. She pulled the blade out and Caleb’s hand dropped to his side. “Thank you.” Then she kicked him through the hole he’d used to enter the  _ Ghost _ . He hit the back of his head on the ramp on his way through the hole and landed hard on his back, a shield closed over the hole in the ramp, and she took off and he couldn’t stop thinking about how strong that kick was. Though his vision was far too blurry for his taste, he saw as a couple of stormtroopers attended to him while another called in Syndulla’s escape. Caleb clutched the piece of her suit in his hand as he was taken to an Imperial med bay. 

He contemplated a lot of things on his journey back to Vader. Instead of cutting off their transmission while in the Imperial med bay that time, Vader used the Force to choke Caleb through the vastness of space. Caleb coughed after he was released and Vader told him if he failed him one more time, he’d have a fate worse than death.

He spent the rest of the journey evaluating his choices and actions. By the time he arrived, he came to one conclusion.

Caleb Dume needed to run again, but he had to ensure Hera’s safety first.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Caleb let out a deep breath as his ship hit the surface of the planet. He’d managed to stay alive thus far, but he knew his time was running short. It had been a little over a standard cycle since he’d last seen Hera. Part of him wondered if she trusted him at all at that point. He hoped she did for her own sake; this would be the day he’d ensure no Imperials would ever threaten her life again. He finally understood why he hadn’t run before; it was Hera. If a lowly Inquisitor could have a destiny, his was to save her.

Caleb folded his arms and watched Hera for a few moments through the canopy of his TIE fighter. He was surprised she hadn’t noticed him yet, but it kind of gave Caleb a sense of calm. He watched as she rounded the corner of a crate with a toy blaster with a huge grin across her face. She was laughing and Caleb thought that sounded even more magical than her voice.

“We really gotta stop meeting like this.” Caleb’s mouth quirked up into a not even remotely sinister smile as he hopped out of his fighter. 

“You’re right. We should stop meeting altogether. What’s wrong, can’t take a hint, dear?” She smiled sarcastically. She hadn’t seemed surprised. Startled, maybe. She tossed the toy aside and turned to face Caleb.

“Who else would I spend this time with, Syndulla? You wound me! I thought we were having a good time.” Caleb ignited his lightsaber, even though he knew it was no good. No matter the things he’d been charged with, he’d never truly hurt the woman. He couldn’t. His loyalties were with the Empire as far as Hera was aware, yes, but what the Empire didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them and he saw nothing wrong with having a little fun here and there. 

And then Caleb saw him. Scrawny kid, no older than ten, shaggy hair, clothes a bit too big, running around chasing a droid outside the  _ Ghost _ with a toy blaster like Hera’s. And Caleb felt him in the Force.

“Didn’t tell me about your little buddy, Spectre!” Caleb laughed, but he didn’t dare take a step closer. Hera did it for him, marching the few meters that separated them, whipping out her vibroblade and pressing it hard enough into Caleb’s throat that he felt a trickle of blood running down his neck.

“You’re actually going to have to kill me if you want him, and I swear to  _ everything _ , I  _ will _ kill you first.” Hera growled. It was the first time Caleb had seen her truly angry. He knew she would, too, and he wasn’t about to test it out.

Caleb opened his mouth for a quippy response, but then he sensed stormtroopers surrounding them and cursed under his breath. They weren’t supposed to  _ be _ there--on the planet in general. He realized Vader probably had something to do with it because they weren’t local troops. No, those bastards were elite. They had to be part of Vader’s Fist or something close. He shouldn’t have been surprised by Vader taking initiative in the situation, but he hated him for it. They captured Hera and Ezra and the Commander congratulated Caleb on his success. The words felt like acid to him, though at that point, he probably would have preferred a vat of acid to what was now his reality. 

  
###

Back at the base, Caleb entered the holding cell in a frenzy. He caught them before an officer came in to interrogate them.

“You folks want out of here alive, I suggest you do as I say.” Caleb’s normally relatively neat hair was messy with strands falling all across his forehead and over the tops of his ears and his yellow eyes were replaced with shining sea-colored ones--no. They reminded Hera of the crystalline structures on Christophsis. He was breathing hard, almost as if he’d run from the arrest site all the way to the cell.

“And why should I trust you?” She seethed as she pushed Ezra behind her.

“You know as well as I do I could have killed you every time we met and I didn’t.” Caleb said sincerely. He flinched, leading Hera to think that he’d likely realized that probably wasn’t the best thing to lead with or that it sounded bad even to him. Hera knew he was right, but having spent nearly a year running from the guy, she felt justified in regarding him with caution.

“That’s not terribly comforting.” She deadpanned, still holding Ezra firmly behind herself.

“Vader thought you were the Force sensitive one. I knew the moment I saw you that you weren’t, but I didn’t know you were harboring the kid until the last time I found you. I didn’t report that because he would’ve sent a legion after you for treason instead, then done worse to the kid. I didn’t intend for you to be captured, truly. Those were Vader’s men and I didn’t even know they’d been dispatched. I was going to let you go again because as long as I was in charge of finding you, you’d be safe.” Caleb huffed and peered over his shoulder. “They’re coming, so I’d appreciate it if you made your damn choice!” He hissed through his teeth, but his eyes were pleading. Hera hesitated before trusting her gut--though it conflicted with her mind--nodding slightly.

“Kid, get on my back.” Caleb said as he knelt down. Ezra froze until Hera nudged him forward.

“Hope you can run as well as you can fly, Syndulla.” He knew she could.

As soon as they were out of range of the base and any troopers and he let Ezra back down, Hera yanked Caleb down by his ear and he yelped. “ _ Why _ are you helping us?”

“I draw the line at killing you and forcing kids into this life.”

“They would’ve killed him.” Hera frowned, shaking her head. She placed what she hoped was a comforting hand on Ezra’s shoulder. 

“No, they would’ve killed you. They’d make him like me, and the process for that is far worse than dying.”

After seeing what Caleb could do against people he _ really _ considered his enemies, she asked him to join her on “a very strict” basis. He’d never made a real move to kill her. He rescued Ezra. That much was worth a trial basis job. He refused and Hera reluctantly boarded the  _ Ghost _ . Caleb watched until the ship was out of his view, then let the back of his head fall back against a tree.

Basically he just sits next to a tree thinking about how he couldn’t afford to go back to the Fortress. If he was going to get out of that life, he needed to act as soon as possible.’

He throws her a holoprojector he swiped off a dead associate.

“With that I can give you a heads up on high activity worlds. I can get into contact with you and let you know about any intel I receive, and I can do a lot more to keep you safe. I will still need to run into you to keep up the façade, but it’ll be the same deal with me letting you go. I’ve already taken that thing apart and rebuilt it three times to make sure there weren’t bugs.” Caleb scanned the canyon. “You know the drill.”

“If you’re so certain that you won’t kill me, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Caleb shrugged. “Suit yourself. And stay out of the Outer Rim for a while. High Command is planning something out there, so troop concentration is going to be high for a while. You sure I can’t convince you to give up your fight?”

“You can try, but I won’t.”

Caleb chuckled. “Thought so. I’ll tell you more the next time I run into you.”

“Why not now?”

“How else am I going to keep the dark and mysterious act going?”

Hera rolled her eyes and walked up the  _ Ghost’s _ ramp. “Inquisitor, you’re about as dark and mysterious as a buttersweet roll.”

“And twice as nice.” Caleb wanted to roll his own eyes at that, but the mildly annoyed huff coming from Hera made it worth it.

‘“Why don’t you just come with me?

“I’m going to the Fortress for the last time and I don’t want you to get hurt.” Kanan said softly.

“I’ll comm you. You're a good worker.” Hera smiled.

“Wait about a month so I can fake my death. Keep the kid out of trouble.” Kanan flashed a grin and made his way toward the Imperial base.”

  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Caleb let out a deep breath as his ship hit the surface of the planet. He’d managed to stay alive thus far, but he knew his time was running short. It had been a little over a standard cycle since he’d last seen Hera. Part of him wondered if she trusted him at all at that point. He hoped she did for her own sake; this would be the day he’d ensure no Imperials would ever threaten her life again. He finally understood why he hadn’t run before; it was Hera. If a lowly Inquisitor could have a destiny, his was to save her.

Caleb folded his arms and watched Hera for a few moments through the canopy of his TIE fighter. He was surprised she hadn’t noticed him yet, but it kind of gave Caleb a sense of calm. He watched as she rounded the corner of a crate with a toy blaster with a huge grin across her face. She was laughing and Caleb thought that sounded even more magical than her voice.

“We really gotta stop meeting like this.” Caleb’s mouth quirked up into a not even remotely sinister smile as he hopped out of his fighter. 

“You’re right. We should stop meeting altogether. What’s wrong, can’t take a hint, dear?” She smiled sarcastically. She hadn’t seemed surprised. Startled, maybe. She tossed the toy aside and turned to face Caleb.

“Who else would I spend this time with, Syndulla? You wound me! I thought we were having a good time.” Caleb ignited his lightsaber, even though he knew it was no good. No matter the things he’d been charged with, he’d never truly hurt the woman. He couldn’t. His loyalties were with the Empire as far as Hera was aware, yes, but what the Empire didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them and he saw nothing wrong with having a little fun here and there. 

And then Caleb saw him. Scrawny kid, no older than ten, shaggy hair, clothes a bit too big, running around chasing a droid outside the  _ Ghost _ with a toy blaster like Hera’s. And Caleb felt him in the Force.

“Didn’t tell me about your little buddy, Spectre!” Caleb laughed, but he didn’t dare take a step closer. Hera did it for him, marching the few meters that separated them, whipping out her vibroblade and pressing it hard enough into Caleb’s throat that he felt a trickle of blood running down his neck.

“You’re actually going to have to kill me if you want him, and I swear to  _ everything _ , I  _ will _ kill you first.” Hera growled. It was the first time Caleb had seen her truly angry. He knew she would, too, and he wasn’t about to test it out.

Caleb opened his mouth for a quippy response, but then he sensed stormtroopers surrounding them and cursed under his breath. They weren’t supposed to  _ be _ there--on the planet in general. He realized Vader probably had something to do with it because they weren’t local troops. No, those bastards were elite. They had to be part of Vader’s Fist or something close. Caleb shouldn’t have been surprised by Vader taking initiative in the situation, but he hated him for it.

“Congratulations, Inquisitor. Lord Vader will be pleased.” The commander said. Caleb clenched his fists and hurried forward so that he would be the one to escort Syndulla and the kid back to the base. He tried brushing it off by telling himself that it was only to ensure they didn’t escape, but he failed. 

He gently grabbed Syndulla’s elbow and he placed an even softer hand on the kid’s shoulder and prodded them forward. 

  
###

Back at the base, Caleb entered the holding cell in a frenzy once he was sure the stormtroopers were clear of the hallway before they could return with an interrogation droid. 

“You folks want out of here alive, I suggest you do as I say.” Caleb’s normally relatively neat hair was messy with strands falling all across his forehead and over the tops of his ears and his yellow eyes were replaced with shining sea-colored ones--no. They reminded Hera of the crystalline structures on Christophsis. He let out a hard breath with each movement of his eyes.

“And why should I trust you?” She seethed as she pushed the kid behind her.

“You know as well as I do I could have killed you every time we met and I didn’t. There’s a reason for that, Hera.” Caleb said sincerely. He flinched, leading her to think that he’d likely realized that probably wasn’t the best thing to lead with or that it sounded bad even to him. Hera knew he was right, but having spent nearly a year running from the guy, she felt justified in regarding him with caution.

“That’s not terribly comforting.” She deadpanned, still holding the boy firmly behind herself.

“Vader thought you were the Force sensitive one. I knew the moment I saw you that you weren’t, but I didn’t know you were harboring the kid until the last time I found you. I didn’t report that because he would’ve sent a legion after you for treason instead, then done worse to the kid. I didn’t intend for you to be captured, truly. Those were Vader’s men and I didn’t even know they’d been dispatched. I was going to let you go again because as long as I was in charge of finding you, you’d be safe.” Caleb huffed and peered over his shoulder. “They’re coming, so I’d appreciate it if you made your damn choice!” He hissed through his teeth, but his eyes were pleading. Hera hesitated before trusting her gut--though it conflicted with her mind--nodding slightly.

“Kid, get on my back.” Caleb said as he knelt down. The boy froze until Hera nudged him forward.

“Ezra, go.” 

“Hope you can run as well as you can fly, Syndulla.” He knew she could.

As soon as they were out of range of the base and any troopers and he let Ezra back down, Hera yanked Caleb down by his ear and he yelped. “ _ Why _ are you helping us?”

“I draw the line at killing you and forcing kids into this life.”

“They would’ve killed him.” Hera frowned, shaking her head. She placed what she hoped was a comforting hand on Ezra’s shoulder. 

“No, they would’ve killed you. They’d make him like me, and the process for that is far worse than dying.”

“Come with us.” The words were out of Hera’s mouth before she could second guess them. Yes, Caleb was an Inquisitor. Yes, his job was to hunt down people like Ezra. But he’d never made a real move to kill her. He rescued Ezra. That much was worth a trial basis job. 

“Not today, Syndulla.” Caleb smiled meekly. Hera wasn’t surprised by Caleb’s refusal, but she was caught off guard when he tossed something her way.

“Holoprojector. With that I can give you a heads up on high activity worlds. I can get into contact with you and let you know about any intel I receive, and I can do a lot more to keep you safe. I will still need to run into you to keep up the façade, but it’ll be the same deal with me letting you go. I’ve already taken that thing apart and rebuilt it three times to make sure there weren’t bugs.” Caleb scanned the canyon. “You know the drill.”

“If you’re so certain that you won’t kill me, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Caleb shrugged. “Suit yourself. And stay out of the Outer Rim for a while. Command is planning something out there, so troop concentration is going to be high for a while. You sure I can’t convince you to give up your fight?”

“You can try, but I won’t.”

Caleb chuckled. “Thought so. I’ll tell you more the next time I run into you.”

“Why not now?”

“How else am I going to keep the dark and mysterious act going?”

Hera rolled her eyes and walked up the  _ Ghost’s _ ramp. “Inquisitor, you’re about as dark and mysterious as a buttersweet roll.”

“And twice as nice.” Caleb wanted to roll his own eyes at that, but the mildly annoyed huff coming from Hera made it worth it.

‘“Why don’t you just come with me?”

“I’m going to the Fortress for the last time and I don’t want you to get hurt.” Kanan said softly.

“I’ll comm you. You're a good worker.” Hera smiled.

“Wait about a month so I can sort things out with the Empire. Keep the kid out of trouble.” Kanan flashed a grin and made his way toward the Imperial base.”

he reluctantly boarded the  _ Ghost _ . Caleb watched until the ship was out of his view, then let the back of his head fall back against a tree. He knew nothing good awaited him at the Fortress, but he was at least mildly convinced Vader wouldn’t still be there.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

Hera sighed as she made her way into the common room of the  _ Ghost _ to check on Ezra. Her old C1 droid, Chopper, was in the corner of the room warbling nonsense to the boy, and it made Hera smile. Chopper didn’t take well to what he would call unwelcome guests, but he’d taken it easy on Ezra for the most part. Hera figured that if she’d found him at any other age, Chopper would’ve been more liberal with the electroprod. 

“How are your lessons going, Ezra?” She asked.

“Good. I finished my language unit and I’m about to start on some history lessons.”

_ If you can call it that anymore _ , Hera thought. 

“Just one history unit today. We’re stopping by Malastare in a few hours.”

“What’s on Malastare?” Ezra asked.

“A few friends. Malastare hates the Empire as much as we do.” Hera ruffled Ezra’s moppy hair and made her way back to the cockpit for the rest of the journey. It wasn’t long until she felt her mind drift to the Fourth Brother. She still didn’t understand why he’d helped her escape with Ezra, but she was grateful. She wasn’t sure why she trusted him, but she did.

She only feared for her life for all of five minutes of her first encounter with him on Onderon, and that was nearly a year ago. He never actively tried killing her. If anything, he seemed to just be toying with her. It felt more like he was keeping up appearances than trying to accomplish anything. 

Hera didn’t understand it. She didn’t understand  _ him _ . He was evil enough for the yellow eyes one moment, then the next they were clear. Or was that a trick, too? Could it all be a trick to lull her into a false sense of security? Hera couldn’t comprehend it all being a part of some master plan. She didn’t want to. He’d probably be punished beyond belief if the Empire ever found out, but what would he have to gain from letting her go? Not to mention Ezra. The Empire had always taken a strong interest in Force-sensitive beings. 

### 

Caleb glanced at his reflection in his cell before he hurried out. He was thinner, he had a black eye, split lip and eyebrow. He’d had his injuries for at least a few weeks by that point. But by having droids carry out the torture, the Empire was able to ensure that the same injuries could be repeated every time. 

Caleb had lost count of how many times he’d been with the droids over the last few weeks. 

He glanced down the hall and saw no one, so he slipped into a terminal room and got to work. He pulled up all of the files on Hera and deleted them, but as he found the remaining files on the kid, he was overcome with a cold feeling. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Vader standing in the doorway with a finger over one of the buttons on his chest. Vader stared at Caleb in silence for another moment before walking away. 

Caleb swallowed hard, deleted the kid’s files, then hurried down the opposite end of the hall and toward the hangar. 

He had to run. Caleb knew that. But the thing was, the Order was gone. The Empire wasn’t safe for him anymore. 

Caleb Dume had to run again. 

He had no money, but he did have mind tricks. He knew where Hera was going to be, and even if he didn’t, he was pretty sure she’d tell him or at least agree to meet him somewhere. He didn’t want to put her in that kind of danger, but she seemed so genuine when she offered him a spot on her crew. The kid needed someone to teach him about the Force. Not that Caleb would  _ ever  _ instruct anyone in its ways, but a little guidance wouldn’t hurt, would it?

If he did it, he’d do it for the kid. For Hera. 

As he was climbing into a ship, he was stopped by a droid.

“Lord Vader wishes to speak with you.”

Caleb nodded and tried (and failed) not to gulp. He hurried back toward the Fortress, but Vader dropped from a platform, landing right in front of Caleb. 

“Apparently you need to be told directly, Inquisitor. The Twi’lek pilot _must_ _die_. I have grown tired of your games. Fail me again, and you’ll both be praying for a death that will never come. Of course, hers will...and you will watch. I recommend you do your job this time, Inquisitor, for your sake.”

“Yes, my lord.” Caleb bowed deeply and hoped Vader hadn’t picked up on his increased heart rate, but he knew it was in vain. He hurried onto the ship and took off, heading for the Outer Rim.

He stopped--well,  _ crashed _ \--on Tund and obtained another ship, one the Empire couldn’t track. He hated using mind tricks, but it was for  _ Hera _ , and he kept reminding himself of the fact as he pulled out his holoprojector and made contact with her.

“Things are about to get a lot worse for you,” He said, “I ran, and you need to run, too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Vader’s caught onto my little game. He’s going to find me and he’s going to find you, too.” Kanan’s throat felt raw.

“He’s going to kill us, isn’t he?”

“There are some things worse than death. Vader is one of those things. You need to go into hiding for a while for the sake of the kid.”

“Tell me why you’re helping me.” Hera demanded.

“I already did.”

“Humor me, Inquisitor.”

“I don’t want you or your kid to die.” Caleb said simply.

“Why not? Isn’t that your job?”

“Technically, the only people I’ve ever killed worked for the Empire.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “My marks all went missing without a trace. Ships too charred to even find a body. They all disappeared, but that’s a hell of a lot easier to accomplish when the marks aren’t trying to take a bite out of the Empire. You clearly have fun doing that and that’s why I can’t help you disappear. I’m pretty sure Vader knows what I’ve been doing. You’re a test and you’re a test I’m failing miserably.”

“No. One of my contacts put you at the scene where a Jedi was killed.”

“I was at the scene for plenty of them but I never personally raised my blade at anyone. If it was the one I’m thinking of, I was overseeing the final training for another former Padawan.”

“Do you really think he’d kill his own agent?” Hera frowned. Caleb was glad she seemed to accept his answer. 

“Vader will kill anyone. I’m sure he’d kill the Emperor if he had the chance. He doesn’t care.” 

“Why are you running?” 

“He was going to kill me if I didn’t kill you and that’s something I couldn’t do.” Caleb said sincerely.

“I don’t understand why not.”

“It’s not a matter of whether I would. I  _ can’t _ , Hera.”

“And you just let me blast you over and over like it was nothing?” Hera asked indignantly with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh, and you would’ve believed me?” Caleb matched her tone.

“Why do you disappear people? Why go through all of that trouble, knowing what it would mean if you got caught?”

“Because I won’t kill them but I can’t get myself killed, either. Because if I did kill someone, Master Billaba would have never forgiven me. I wear the Empire’s uniform, but I’m not one of them, Hera. I promise you.”

“If you were just going to let me go every time, why did you keep finding me?”

Kanan chuckled. “It kept up the charade and I liked seeing you, but mostly because I thought you were fun. It gave me something to look forward to, which is a luxury I haven’t had in years.” Kanan watched her with a twinkle in his eye for a moment before his heart sank. He pictured Vader torturing Hera in the worst ways before his eyes. He had to salvage something for her, but he wasn’t sure how or if he even could. “Please tell me where you are. I’ll answer any question you have.”

“Malastare. I’ll send you my coordinates. Don’t make me regret it.”

“I’ll be there in a few hours.” Caleb smiled and ended his transmission, then plugged in Hera’s coordinates.

While in hyperspace, he thought about how she hadn’t brought up her offer to help him again as he brought his ship down next to the  _ Ghost _ . It was fine. That was fine. Kanan wasn’t sure if he blamed her, having spent the last year or so lying to her. It was the fear, the ice cold fear of Vader, that sprouted the thought in his mind. He skipped down the ramp toward Hera’s camp and stopped a respectable distance from her.

“I can’t fail Vader again.” His voice cracked. Something told Hera she  _ should _ wonder if that meant he’d changed his mind, but she didn’t.

“He really would kill you, wouldn’t he?”

“He’d never be so merciful,” He laughed, but there was no humor in it, “He would have me begging for death and it would never come. He’d hurt you.” Caleb pulled off a piece of his armor, exposing his chest and the tight thin black undershirt beneath it. He dropped the armor on the ground, and walked toward Hera, who instinctually had her blaster raised. He kept walking until it was pressing hard in the center of his chest. When he hit it, Hera flinched, but then she saw his eyes. They were still that same blue green, clear, pleading. 

“But I’d rather beg you. You’ll make it quick. You’ll show mercy.” His voice was unwavering, but his eyes conveyed it as a question.

“I...I’m not killing you!” She uncharged her blaster and stuck it under her belt. She would’ve thrown it, but Hera wasn’t careless. “Just run!”

“I tried that once. Running away isn’t a life suited for me and they’d probably just find me like they did the first time.” Caleb shook his head.

“You’re the only one of them that could find me more than once, so come with me.” Hera stood firmly in place. Caleb’s eyes widened and he frowned. He’d expected mercy in the form of a quick death, not...kindness.

“I told you that I’m not putting you in danger like that, Hera.”

She wondered when he’d stopped calling her “Syndulla”. 

“As if you haven’t spent the last year trying to kill me.” Hera smirked. “Come on, Chopper should have the  _ Ghost _ ready to go.”   
  


Caleb hesitated, but followed after her. When he reached the ramp to the  _ Ghost _ , he stopped. He’d hunted that freighter across a dozen systems and there he was about to board it. He saw as the last flash of Hera’s boot disappeared up into a higher level of the ship.

He took his lightsaber off his back, grabbed the heaviest rock he could find, and started smashing it to pieces. When the crystals were exposed, he took and pocketed them. He kept hitting the pieces until they couldn’t be rebuilt if he tried. 

“Come on, Inquisitor! Kinda on a schedule here!” Hera yelled as she descended the ladder. She saw Caleb on his knees, smashing the pieces over and over. She darted across the cargo bay and put her hands over his. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s gone, okay? It’s behind you. You’ll break your hands if you try any harder.”

“I deserve that much.” Caleb murmured to himself. Hera gently pulled his hands off the rock and took them in her lap.

“Inquisitor, we need to get out of here.”

“Caleb.” He said softly.

“What?”

“My name. I-it’s Caleb.” He said as he and Hera made their way up the ramp.

“You can stop calling me Syndulla, then. Right, Caleb?” She smiled. It was the first time someone had called him that in ten years. He wasn’t sure of how he felt about it, but his eyes didn’t leave Hera as she climbed back up the ladder. 

###

After a few hours of sitting in the common room reflecting, Caleb knocked on Hera’s door. It slid open not long after. She was in that same midriff top from when Caleb cut into the  _ Ghost _ , but this time with tight black shorts instead of the orange pants. She seemed tired as she scooped a bite out the sliced meiloorun in her hand. 

“You do what the Jedi did.” He firmly held her lazy gaze. 

“Thought we were past the days of me being a Force user.” Hera smirked and leaned against the doorway before playfully punching Caleb’s arm.

“No, you help people. You give without reason. You risk your life for them.”

“There  _ is _ a reason, Caleb. They’re suffering and I can help alleviate that. My mother raised me that way, and I was inspired by Master Windu during his campaign on Ryloth.”

Caleb’s mouth went dry. He hadn’t heard that name in…

“You knew Mace Windu?”

Hera nodded. “Sometimes he’d smuggle me some meilooruns when my parents weren’t looking.” A fond smile and a lift of the fruit in her hands for emphasis. 

“He was my master’s master. I knew him really well.”

Then the weight of all that he’d done hit himself the things he could have done. He may have helped his marks, but he was still part of the Imperial machine. Jedi didn’t hate, but if she knew the things he’d been a part of, she would’ve definitely hated him. A searing pain went across his skull and then all he saw was black.

“Caleb...Caleb!”

The Empire would be hunting  _ Caleb  _ soon...

He opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor with Hera crouching over him, eyes filled with worry. Her hand was lightly slapping his cheek, each contact increasing in force. Caleb pushed himself up into a sitting position.

“What happened?”

“You mentioned your master and then you went limp and just fell. Your wrist twisted when you hit the ground so I want to take a look at that in a minute,” She took a breath, “Are you okay, Caleb?”

The white sharp pain finally became evident to Caleb and he winced and cradled his wrist and was able to tell right away it was broken. Not his worst break, but still probably a relatively significant one.

“No, but it’s nothing that can be changed right now.” He paused. “You can’t call me Caleb, though.”

“But you’re not an Inq--”

“I know. But once the Fourth Brother goes missing without a body, they’ll start hunting Caleb Dume again and that would put you in more danger than I’d ever allow. I have to disappear myself for a change. Maybe I’ll grow a goatee or something. I always thought about that.” Caleb said, running his good hand along the stubble ever rapidly growing in.

“Full beard. No goatees.”

“Ship rule?” Caleb smirked. 

“No. My rule.” Hera jabbed her thumb into her chest and stood up, then offered Caleb a hand. He hesitated, but took it with his good one and Hera pulled him up effortlessly. “Any name ideas?”

“No,” He admitted, “I think I’m going to meditate on it, if I can get anywhere with it after ten years. Is it okay if I use the cargo hold?” He saw the kid peeking out of his room through the corner of his eye, but he looked scared, so he didn’t acknowledge him. There’d be time for talking to him later.

“You can use your room. You’ll have more privacy.”

“My room?”

“Did you think I was going to make you sleep on the  _ Phantom _ or in the cargo bay or something?” Hera punched a panel across from hers.

Caleb scanned the little room and the bunks. It was more than he’d had with the Empire or even 

with the Jedi. The bed wasn’t on the floor and it wasn’t made of durasteel nor was it akin to a rug. He had a pillow again.

“Go on. Your room. Your space. Make it yours--after I look at your wrist. Go sit on a bunk and I’ll be right back with the medkit.” Hera smiled and nudged him.

He broke his wrist and she was out of bacta, so Hera used numbspray, set it, and then wrapped it in a hard bandage and warned him to keep it still until he could get better care. He spent 20 hours straight in there trying to meditate. Finding a connection took 10 hours. Visions of Depa visited him for the most part, cries of fallen Jedi, some of which were those killed by his associates, then a whisper from Master Billaba. He opened his eyes.

He emerged from his room and made his way into the cockpit to find Hera.

“How’d it go?” She asked.

“Kanan Jarrus.”

“Okay, Kanan,” A smile, “We’re on our way to Ossus and--”

“No, we’re not.” Kanan crossed his arms and bent down to look Hera in the eye. He knew it was a bad move, but if she was crazy enough to try and go to Ossus of all places, he didn’t really care. 

“Excuse me?” Hera put her hand on her hip, but Kanan was too worried about the prospect to feel any sense of amusement.

“The Empire is all over Ossus. That’s where the Great Library was and there was a Jedi Temple there, and some think it might’ve been the first. Strong Jedi energy there, so that’s the last place we need to take the kid.” Kanan crossed his arms. He’d restrain Hera if it meant keeping the kid off that cursed place.

Hera frowned and started to think. “They need help.” 

“Talk to your contact and tell her to send somebody else. If you care about your kid, you can’t go within two systems of it.”

“Okay, okay. Give me a minute and I’ll think of something else,” Hera pulled a datapad from the cockpit, “What about Ansion?”

Kanan mulled it over for a moment. “Average presence for being that close to the Core and 

there’s a base, but avoiding detection shouldn’t be too difficult, if the kid can control his abilities.”

“Another thing,” Hera said, setting the datapad back down, “I--”

“No.”

“You don’t know what I was going to say, Kanan.”

“ _ No.  _ He’s bad enough that you’re asking a man who spent a year chasing you to train him!” Kanan yelled, jabbing a finger in the direction of the kid’s bunk.

“Lower your voice.” Hera warned, pulling him inside her cabin by his collar, then pushing him up against the closed door. “I’m not asking you to train him. Just to talk to him. Tell him what he can do to conceal it. That’s all.”

Kanan watched Hera for a while before he hung his head. For once, he didn’t want to look at her. “All right. I’ll talk to him when we make the jump.”

###

“I know you’re not happy about me being here, but I need you to know I would have never hurt you or Hera.” Kanan said. He sat in a wooden chair next to the dejarik table. The kid didn’t look up; he kept his focus on his thumb.

“Could’ve fooled me.” The kid frowned.

“I know. I have a lot to prove now and I’m ready for that. Hera wants me to help you with the Force.” Kanan said softly.

“You don’t want to.”

“It’s painful for me, but I want to help you, kid.”

The boy didn’t reply. He just grabbed a stylus and started twirling it around. “You can draw on this if you want.” Kanan held his cast toward the kid. The boy raised an eyebrow and slowly reached for Kanan’s arm.

Neither talked for the rest of the time. Kanan figured he had to build up some sense of trust with the kid first. After the kid was finished with his notes and doodles, Kanan stood and made his way toward the cockpit to Hera.

“Had to calm him down somehow, so I told him he could draw whatever he wanted on this.” Kanan held his wrist out for Hera to examine. Lots of doodles of what she figured was supposed to be Kanan with goofy expressions, lothcats, and notes like “Inquisitors are dumb”, “I get my butt kicked”, and “The Empire sucks”. Hera didn’t notice the smile spreading across her face, but Kanan did.

###

Kanan came out of his room only to almost run into Hera, who was carrying an entirely too full cup of caf to the cockpit. She started to curse, but stopped when Kanan prevented the stray drops from hitting the ship. 

“How are you feeling?” She asked as he effortlessly sent them back into her cup. 

“Sore, but I’ll live.”

“You get to choose where to go next.” She took a big sip to level out the caf.

“But I don’t know where people need help or how to--”

“This isn’t a business mission. This is for you, Kanan.”

“I’ve been all over and I don’t know of any homes to return to. I’d rather stick to helping people that need it. I have a fair bit of that to catch up on.” Kanan smiled meekly. “Why did you help me? You never told me.”

“Why didn’t you kill me when you damn well could have?” Hera countered. 

“You didn’t deserve to die.” Kanan gave her the same answer he’d offered every time she’d asked. She didn’t seem satisfied with it. 

“Did anyone the Inquisitors killed deserve to die?” She tensed up as she said that, half challenging him to get angry and finish his job after all.

“No, they didn’t,” He admitted softly, “I want to say I didn’t have a choice in standing by, but I did, and that’s why you’re here. If I could go back and change what I did, I  _ would _ , Hera.”

“I’m helping you because you helped me and you helped Ezra. And because you’re good as part of my crew. Which reminds me,” Hera sighed and turned to better face Kanan. “I want you on a more permanent basis. Your skills are useful, you’re a good worker, and I think the routine would be good for you.” Hera paused. “ And Ezra’s really starting to like you.”

“Just Ezra?” Kanan drawled and took a step closer to Hera, but she only rolled her eyes.

“Glad to know your flip to the light didn’t sacrifice your cockiness.” Hera rolled her eyes and headed back to the galley. Kanan watched until the door slid closed and smiled to himself before making his way to the cockpit to watch the stars.

  
  



End file.
